Download PDF version

The LF 16 fire truck was built in 1962 and left the factory hall of the former VEB Feuerlöschgerätewerk Luckenwalde 60 years ago. Now, it has unexpectedly returned to the place where it was made.

Colleagues from the Grossbreitenbach volunteer fire department in Thuringia went on a grand tour with the restored LF 16 and visited the traditional fire fighting vehicle factory in Luckenwalde, where Rosenbauer now manufactures state-of-the-art fire trucks for the German market. Technically a lot has changed over six decades, but the factory hall, where vehicle deliveries and firefighting equipment training still take place, has hardly changed.

Fire fighting equipment

The LF 16 of that era was built on the S 4000 chassis, which is still very appealing

Because of its nearly 100-year tradition of fire fighting equipment and vehicle construction, the hall is now a listed building. The LF 16 of that era was built on the S 4000 chassis, which is still very appealing, from the Werdau vehicle factory in Saxony.

Without power steering and with manual gear shifting, the operator brought the whole crew safely to the scene and back again to the fire station right up until 2005. From 1962 to 1971, the vehicle was used by the professional fire department of Neuhaus am Rennsteig and later by the Grossbreitenbach volunteer fire service.

For almost 15 years, it was then lovingly restored by dedicated colleagues, thus preserving a piece of the technical fire service history for future generations. The technical specifications of the vehicle make interesting reading. With a 400-liter extinguishing water tank and rear pump, it has a permissible service weight of just 8,100 kg. It is only 7.4 m long, 2.3 m wide, and 2.85 m high. And yet, for the needs of the time, everything required for firefighting and human rescue was fitted onto the vehicle.

Download PDF version Download PDF version

In case you missed it

Innovative Fire Protection By WAGNER At LogiMAT 2025
Innovative Fire Protection By WAGNER At LogiMAT 2025

At the LogiMAT in Stuttgart from 11th to 13th March, WAGNER will be presenting innovative fire protection technologies and individual solutions for deep-freeze warehouses, high-bay...

The Importance Of Fire Protection To Minimize Damage After Natural Disasters
The Importance Of Fire Protection To Minimize Damage After Natural Disasters

There is a lot of studies and authority actions to have better responses after a natural disaster, including risk management, awareness, and preparedness especially in areas where...

Kidde's Game-Changing Inert Gas Solutions For Security
Kidde's Game-Changing Inert Gas Solutions For Security

The Kidde Fire Protection Natura™ Inert Gas System by Kidde Australia has transformed the way installers think about deploying inert gas fire suppression systems, deliverin...

vfd